Anderson Varejao

Let me make this clear. I want to build a winner as bad as the next guy. I'm pretty sure the Cavs will be a playoff team next season. (Hell, we might this season, and we're not even trying to.)

Anderson is a unique big man that has improved over the years, and has an all-hustle attitude that's contagious. He is now a borderline All-Star.If we trade him, we will never get equal, or better value. If that is the objective. I would need an unprotected lottery pick to trade Andy at the minimum. And I don't see anybody doing that.

He will be 30 years old next season. He still has plenty of energy to play for me. Add one rookie starting next year. Sign 2 middle of the road free agents. Playoffs here we come. (Waiting for another super star to show up could be a long wait.)

Let me make this clear. I want to build a winner as bad as the next guy. I'm pretty sure the Cavs will be a playoff team next season. (Hell, we might this season, and we're not even trying to.)

Anderson is a unique big man that has improved over the years, and has an all-hustle attitude that's contagious. He is now a borderline All-Star.If we trade him, we will never get equal, or better value. If that is the objective. I would need an unprotected lottery pick to trade Andy at the minimum. And I don't see anybody doing that.

He will be 30 years old next season. He still has plenty of energy to play for me. Add one rookie starting next year. Sign 2 middle of the road free agents. Playoffs here we come. (Waiting for another super star to show up could be a long wait.)

Jamison, Sessions, Parker, see ya later. Keep Andy.

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Which is where he'll be next year. After that? Who knows. The drop-off in his already limited athletic ability has been more than evident this season. I like Andy as much as the next guy, but if you can get a good offer, you have to move him. Hopefully he keeps playing well and some team bites.

Let me make this clear. I want to build a winner as bad as the next guy. I'm pretty sure the Cavs will be a playoff team next season. (Hell, we might this season, and we're not even trying to.)

Anderson is a unique big man that has improved over the years, and has an all-hustle attitude that's contagious. He is now a borderline All-Star.If we trade him, we will never get equal, or better value. If that is the objective. I would need an unprotected lottery pick to trade Andy at the minimum. And I don't see anybody doing that.

He will be 30 years old next season. He still has plenty of energy to play for me. Add one rookie starting next year. Sign 2 middle of the road free agents. Playoffs here we come. (Waiting for another super star to show up could be a long wait.)

Jamison, Sessions, Parker, see ya later. Keep Andy.

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The only untouchable on this team is 2KI. When you're rebuilding you don't throw the untouchable tag on a role player. That's setting yourself up for failure.

As for making the playoffs next year:
C: Andy (if not traded)
PF: TT
SF: Middle Of The Road Free Agent/Gee/Rookie
SG: Middle Of The Road Free Agent/Rookie
PG: KI

Andy is a badass. He always has such an unusual line. Last night he had 10 pts, 16 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. That is serious impact to a game and doesn't even factor in all the lose balls he creates and gets his hands on.

I think every team in the league wants a guy like him. I'm not totally against trading him, because he's a bit too old to be part of our long range plan, but we shouldn't trade him unless someone offers real value. Unprotected 1st round pick and a decent to very good young player or a seriously good young player if there's no pick involved.

I am starting to think we might get some value for him. His rebounding is now elite, and he is getting these other steals and stats. His value is starting to show on the box score, and he is almost averaging a double double. Not a 20/10 guy, but even so all the away announcers have been commenting on him, and I think most front offices see he has value. He is not the liability on offense he once was, and if you pair him with a stretch 4 or 5, you've got a potentially great front line.

Problem with ever trying to trade him is the good teams don't have much to give us back (high picks/young high ceiling talent), and none of the young rebuilding teams are going to bring on a guy who is too old to be a core piece (same issue the Cavs are having with him).

The front office is playing up Anderson Varejao to an unprecedented level. The guy's playing phenomenally, and the entire Cavs team and organization is gushing over the guy. Even the league is taking notice of Andy more than usual. I'd say that the Cavs are perfectly setting up to get absolute maximum value for Varejao in a trade. I wouldn't be surprised if we get an unprotected lottery pick for him this season or on draft night. I love Varejao, but I really, really want to see this team succeed, so I am putting my emotional attachments to the guy aside. I am acknowledging that anything close to equal trade value that we get for Varejao in terms of picks or young talent by trading him will help us much more immediately because of a better draft pick from of more losses and down the road because of a young, talented player being present who can play at a high level during the entire duration of a championship run. I don't want a Mavs formula where we end up winning one championship then have to blow up our team. I want a formula that has our top 6-8 players peaking in their prime at the same time and can play together, winning many championships in a row. Keeping Varejao will not serve that purpose. I love him, but it's his time to go.

Problem with ever trying to trade him is the good teams don't have much to give us back (high picks/young high ceiling talent), and none of the young rebuilding teams are going to bring on a guy who is too old to be a core piece (same issue the Cavs are having with him).

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Solution get a 3rd team involved in the trade that has the assets needed. Andy will be near replacable unless of course TT starts dominating the boards.

I wonder if the trade deadline will be pretty quiet this year because teams are struggling with the schedule and fear tinkering more with the lineups/ incorporating new players.

Get what you can for him. He will not be a part of the rebuild and will, in fact, hinder it by adding wins and worsening our draft position. He is probably our most valuable trade-able asset and Grant needs to strike while the iron is hot.
- My feeling before the season.

I've fallen in love with Andy, all over again.
- Me now.

I want Andy to retire as a Cav. I can deny my love no longer. Last year and this are a testament to the insane amount of value he has to this basketball team. His hustle and attitude are contagious. The amount of entertainment he brings is undeniable. And his knowledge of the game, his craftiness, and his pure basketball ability are vastly underrated. He might be the smartest bigman in the game right now, possibly outside of Duncan.

He has so many tricks. He has so much to teach. Every teammate loves him. His coaches love him. He's a John Holmes load of Elmer's glue to this team. And, all of a sudden, he's respected around the league. It used to be that opposing bigs, and especially the big names in league in general, would treat him like a mere annoyance and a total outsider; I don't know how it happened, but now, while he's still annoying, he's suddenly clearly respected by other teams for it. It's crazy seeing him laughing and getting all gripped up with other teams' stars, like he belongs. And I really enjoy the legitimacy it seems to bring to the team in my mind.

He's not playing so effectively by leaping around the gym swatting shots and dunking everything. Hell, his left foot was about 3 inches off the floor when he dunked it last night. He's agile, but I don't know that his athleticism diminishing will hurt his game as much as I once feared. It's his anticipation and knowledge of where to be and when that make him so damn good. He just knows how to play the game.

So there it is. It's out there. I love him. I wanna type it out in all caps from a mountaintop.

P.S. I wouldn't be upset if we traded him for an unprotected first from a lottery team though, I guess. I'm a fickle lover.

I'm going to throw out a name real quick who helped his team win championships with the same style of play as Andy. Dennis Rodman. Look at his stats at Post Age 30. They are great. Average 18 rebounds a game at age 30.

He was the second best player during the Lebron era. He does a million things a night that help teams win that cant be easily quantified with stats.

Honestly, I want a top 10 pick for the guy or I wouldnt even dare entertain an offer for him.

He is the difference between a contender winning a title or losing it right now.

Id ask for the moon and then some when it comes to Andy.

How many big men can do what he does defensively??

Howard, Noah, Nene, maybe Bynum and thats it. He is without a doubt one of the most enigmatic talents within the game. However, he is a DAMN GOOD player. He has at least 3 great years before he declines. I want a KINGS RANSOM for Andy considering his EXTREME value on the court and his very reasonable contract.